


strike twelve

by falqner



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: (there's a little bit of angst but it's barely there!!), Fluff, Golden Hour, M/M, Sunsets, Trains, and also kuroyaku is implied because let's face it. 10/10 ship, bit - Freeform, he's FLIRTING! FLIRTING I TELL YOU!!!!, hey reon maybe you should go back to angst huh, iwaizumi flirts. yeah i know., kuroo is in the story for a little bt, literally just trains and times and stuff, look at me not making a story angsty for once!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-04-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:54:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23695768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/falqner/pseuds/falqner
Summary: Train rides are a mundane affair, but Tooru likes to make them magical.
Relationships: Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru
Comments: 6
Kudos: 37





	strike twelve

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so I wrote this in one day as I was doing homework. Hi, how's quarantine? It's been a few months since I posted, but I've been writing a lot! I just...haven't been finishing those pieces. My brain says "go to new pieces go to new pieces Reon go--" so yeah. My spike in activity is solely because of quarantine. I'm trying to graduate high school at the same time KJHSDFKJGHSJDFG! 
> 
> This is a pretty fluffy, stupid, gushy piece from me, which is completely different from what I'm used to. I'm usually angst central, but sometimes you need to step away from what you're good at. I'm definitely going to improve on my fluff because all my fluff tends to be pretty short even though it takes forever for me to finish ONE SCENE of fluff. Yeah.
> 
> I wasn't super sure what to name this piece, so I did strike twelve because of the times!
> 
> EDIT: [Art](https://twitter.com/garnolas/status/1275220153421062144?s=20) made by [Amanda](https://twitter.com/garnolas)!

At 11:25 PM, the train home is steady and quiet. 

A few people are around him. A woman smoothing down the wrinkles on her pencil skirt. A university student glued to his phone screen, scrolling and tapping away like nothing matters. A little stuffed rabbit, left behind by a small child.  _ A lonely thing,  _ Tooru thinks.

He chuckles under his breath. A stuffed toy can’t be lonely. He wonders what stories the child who left it used to make up. Maybe they went on adventures in dark caves, or shot up to the moon like astronauts. Children can go to all sorts of places with a few blankets, pillows, and a companion. Maybe the child with the lost toy is crying now, or maybe they’re looking for another one, content with moving on to bigger, better adventures. There’s only so much a rabbit can do, after all.

_ Well,  _ he thinks resolutely,  _ they can’t beat the ones Iwa-chan and I went on. _

Tooru pulls out an old book and flips to page 207. It’s the climax, an important scene. Someone might die.

The thing about this book is that it mentions the stars, as if the characters will all become stars one day, tiny things in this vast universe that will burn out eventually. They shine bright in this scene. The author focuses far too much on them when the main character’s older sister is about to die.

(Maybe that’s a good thing. All stars burn out.)

The only noises he can hear are his hands flipping each page and the occasional squeaks of the wheels.

**Next stop, Sendai.** Tooru shoves his book into his bag—page 253—and hops off. His phone chimes.

_ Iwa-chan: Look right, dumbass _

He turns his head, finds the stupid mess of spiky hair he’s always loved.

“Iwa-chan!” Tooru runs and leaps into his arms.

It’s been far too long.

(Outside, the stars peek through clouds and shine faintly.)

✩✩✩

At 5:38 AM, he departs for the station. The keys in his pocket jingle with every step. Out the door he goes.

He bids Iwaizumi goodbye, but with the piece of sliced bread in his mouth, it probably sounds more like “Vie Iwa-shhan!” (Or something of the sort.) Iwaizumi waves back.

It’s winter now, so it’s still dark outside. Sendai is much more at this time, not quite sunrise but not quite night anymore. Street lights are still on. Maybe it’d give him a headache if this was Tokyo, but this is  _ Sendai. _ No hustle and bustle or any of the flashing neon lights are etched in Sendai.

It’s just the stars that light his path in this case, just like when he was 16 and his knee was shattered for the first time at 3 AM in the gym. Maybe it’s nothing important to someone like Kuroo Tetsurou, who didn’t grow up seeing stars everywhere he went, but it’s far too significant for someone like him to forget. Growing up and older—burning out.

He chews happily on the sliced bread, a cup of coffee in his hand and a hop in his steps. The station is near.

✩✩✩

At 10:16 AM, his now ex-boyfriend is out of his apartment.

_ (Oh, didn’t you know Tooru? All stars burn out eventually.) _

His knee starts to throb again.

✩✩✩

At 2:58 PM, with red-rimmed eyes and blotchy cheeks, he meets Iwaizumi back home. Iwaizumi holds him tightly, says he won’t let go until it’s time, whispers sweet nothings that mean so much more than whatever value the stars hold in his heart.

It feels like a meteor has crash landed.

Tooru curls into the warmth and keeps his nose in the crook of Iwaizumi’s neck. It’s the kind of place he would like to hide in. Iwaizumi hums and rubs his back.

“I really liked him,” he mumbles into his shoulder, inhaling deeply.

“I know.”

He closes his eyes. “I really, really liked him.”

“Yeah. That’s okay.”

“Iwa-chan,” he says after a moment.

“Hm?”

“Can we,” he sniffs, “paint our nails tonight? And listen to really stupid songs?”

“Yeah. Sure.”

He sniffs again and rests his chin on Iwaizumi’s shoulder. “That’s nice.”

His knee still throbs. He paints his nails "mint candy apple" and eats milk bread and his knee still throbs.

✩✩✩

Tooru doesn’t remember much about train rides with his family. His mom says he used to do a lot of things, like swing his legs or grip his sister’s hand tightly. But then again, his mom also said he used to be the crybaby (it was  _ definitely  _ Iwa-chan!), so it’s not like her word can be trusted.

His sister actually tells him truthful things, like how he would keep his old teddy bear bouncing on his lap when they were younger. They would watch the sun slowly set, periwinkle becoming gold and coral and lavender. His sister says that he would annoy her constantly by poking her in the arm and getting her to look outside.

He laughs a little at that.

The train stops at exactly 6:10 PM. Sunset is closeby; he can tell by the sky changing colors like tides, rose reds and marigolds painted like waterfalls. When he gets on, he walks to the far end of the hall, where rarely anyone sits, and takes his place by the window.

It’s rather beautiful, golden hour in Sendai. Before the train can start moving, he sends a quick snapchat to his friends.

**It’s so pretty!!!**

At 6:23 PM, he gets a notification.

_ IWA-CHAN _

_ Second prettiest thing I’ve ever seen _

**ME**

**What’s the prettiest?**

_ IWA-CHAN _

_ You have to look at the first word of this sentence. _

He doesn’t stop blushing until he gets back to his apartment.

✩✩✩

“No, Kuro-chan, you don’t  _ get  _ it! He was flirting with me, I swear!”

_ “You’ve told me this like five times in the past two minutes, Oikawa!” _

“Yeah but you don’t get it! It’s not like Yakkun flirted with you!”

_ “Yeah but that’s because he’s about as a subtle as a bus.” _

“HELP ME OH MY GOD.”

Kuroo hangs up.

Tooru stares at his phone for one moment. He screams into his pillow the next.

✩✩✩

  
  


_ Yo I’m at the station _

_ Aw did Iwa-chan miss me that much? _

_ You told me to come pick you up dumbass _

_ I’ll be there soon!! A few more minutes _

_ Last time you said that I waited here for 30 minutes _

_ No one ever said my sense of time was the best, Iwa-chan.  _ _ (*μ_μ) _

_ Your mom is making milk bread. _

_ Be there in 10 minutes! _

✩✩✩

At exactly 9:15 PM, Tooru walks into the door.

“IWA-CHAN STOP LAUGHING AT ME!!”

“Tooru….T-Tooru….you walked into the fucking door….you literally—” He can’t get the words out before he breaks into hearty laughter. “You’re so stupid oh my GOD!”

“I hit my forehead! I saw stars! And you aren’t even concerned about your boyfriend, shame on you.” He wags his finger back and forth.

“It’s kinda hard to be concerned when you’re still being you!” And he’s. Still. Laughing.

“Wha—can’t believe this slander. No more agedashi tofu for you!”

“Tooru!”

✩✩✩

At 9:32 AM, Tooru sees the stuffed rabbit on the train again, this time in the hands of a little girl. Found again. He’s silent for the ride, eyeing the rabbit, wondering if it doesn’t feel so lonely anymore.

He really hopes so.

✩✩✩

(At 12:00 AM, Hajime kisses Tooru when he gets off the train. Tooru thinks there are millions of stars bursting around them.)

Hajime says stars like these don’t exist in millions. They’re not like the ones in the sky.

✩✩✩

“Hajime,” Tooru says breathlessly. “Do you think stars are as pretty as the ones in Miyagi?”

Hajime turns his head over, watching him with wonder.  _ Star boy, boy wonder, Miyagi’s golden child,  _ silly but sentimental nicknames. “Hm, I don’t think so. Maybe in some places.”

“I think they’re prettiest when you’re riding the train.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Tooru laces his fingers with Hajime’s.

“Now, let’s name all the constellations!!”

“Oh  _ god  _ Tooru. Please no.”

✩✩✩

**_Oh dear stars_ **

**_Carry me with you_ **

**_So I may meet the one_ **

**_I do adore._ **

**Author's Note:**

> I always post my pieces late at night. Oops.  
> Find me @falqner on twitter, tumblr, and curiouscat!


End file.
